Vigils have been held in Missouri to honor the victims of last Thursday’s duck boat tragedy. Monday night, one was held in Indiana for the family of survivor Tia Coleman.
Indianapolis Prayer Vigil for the family of Tia Coleman (Image courtesy of KOLR-TV)
Coleman was not in attendance at the prayer vigil that was held at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Indianapolis
But the congregation still payed homage to her nine family members who passed away in last Thursday’s accident including her husband and three children.
The church prayed, sang, read scripture, and offered words of encouragement to Coleman to help her get through her grief.
One pastor specifically prayed for her divine protection.
“In the days ahead Lord when the cameras have been taken down, attorneys have stopped calling, friends have shut their voicemail off, in those days when all those voices have been hushed and silenced, we pray tonight for her sanity, we pray tonight that you would keep her God,” said Pastor Terry Webster of Nu Corinthian Baptist Church.
Coleman’s 13-year-old nephew was also recognized at Monday night’s vigil.
He’s the only member from her family to survive the accident.
Coleman recalled that when she was in the water, she couldn’t see or hear anyone. She said she yelled, screamed and then let go.
“And I started floating … to the top. I felt the water temperature rise to warm … and I saw the big boat that sits up there,” she said from a hospital bed, referring to a riverboat docked nearby. “And when I saw they were throwing out life jackets to people and I said, ‘Jesus keep me, just keep me so I can get to my children. Keep me, Lord.’ ”
Speaking to CNN on Friday afternoon, Governor Mike Parson said, “I had a chance to talk to her (Tia Coleman), and it’s difficult to find the right words to say other than (our) thoughts and prayers are with her.”
Missourinet media partner KOLR-TV contributed the content of this story